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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28171281">Decorating</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ONeillwith2ls/pseuds/ONeillwith2ls'>ONeillwith2ls</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shipmas2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate SG-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas season 1, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:40:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,622</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28171281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ONeillwith2ls/pseuds/ONeillwith2ls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for #Shipmas 2020.</p><p>Sam didn't believe in Christmas magic anymore.</p><p>Someone plays Santa's little elf. He needs her to believe in magic.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shipmas2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Decorating</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She opened her door and smiled at her commanding officer in his wool coat, stood on her porch, in the cold Colorado Springs winter. </p><p>"This better be worth it." He growled at her, practically shoving the file into her hand.</p><p>"It is. Thank you, Sir." She smiled, taking it from him. "You must be freezing. Come in." She said to him softly.</p><p>Jack was in no condition to disagree. His truck was old enough not to have heating in it. Several weeks of freezing temperatures had taken every bit of warm air out of the evening and it had been snowing all day, leaving a layer of white powder on top of the already icy conditions. He nodded as he slid past her into the warmth of her house. She hadn't bothered turning on the light in the hallway, but he could see her living room light was on from the glow from the doorway. He took off his coat and hung it on a hook in the hallway.</p><p>"Make yourself at home." She offered him, her arm indicating towards the living room. "I'll get you some coffee. It just finished brewing."</p><p>Jack moved towards her living room, seeking warmth. He sat on sofa and casually looked around the room.</p><p>He was confused by the room. Here they were in the dead of winter, mere days from Christmas, yet in the living room of his second-in-command, there was no tree, no lights, no tinsel, no decorations. No sign of the holidays at all. Of the three humans on the team, he would have thought that Carter would have been the most likely to celebrate the Christmas season. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he tried to think of a way to broach this subject with her. At that same moment, Sam walked back in, carrying a mug of coffee in one hand. She hesitated slightly at the look on his face. "Sir?"</p><p>"Where are your Christmas decorations, Carter?" He asked her.</p><p>"Oh!" She said, shaking her head and walking over with the coffee. "I, umm, I didn't see much of a point, since there’s only me--" She said quietly, handing him the mug. "And this year, there's not a lot of Christmas cheer or magic going on." She shrugged, looking away, and didn't see the sad expression on his face. "Besides, with our jobs we could be called away in December and arrive back in June." She finished with a weak smile.</p><p>"Right." He said, with a nod.</p><p>"And, anyway, you're one to talk. You don't decorate either." She reminded him, staring at the floor. "I know, Sir, different reasons but, if you get to be a grump, then so do I."</p><p>Facing away from him, she didn’t see the pensive look on Jack’s face.</p><hr/><p>Sam was late coming home the next day. She turned the corner onto her before she switched off the radio. Every radio station was playing Christmas music which quite frankly depressed her. Thoughts of past Christmases with her mother, father, and brother flashed through her mind, and made this time of year melancholic. They only reminded her of what she no longer had. It made missing her parents harder to bear. She even missed Mark. </p><p>She sighed heavily, willing her tears not to fall as she pulled into her car parking space. She turned off the engine before she got out of the car. After reaching into the back to get her things, she turned to walk into her house but stopped in her tracks. She stared at her little house, a confused look appeared on her face. </p><p>Her eyes were drawn to the icicle lights which trimmed the entire front of her house. Pretty lights the same color covered the roof and the pathway was lit with four archways, all covered in the same colored fairy lights. Slowly she made her way up the garden path to her front door. </p><p>Opening the unlocked door, she paused before entering only to find there was more decorations inside. A curtain of lights were stringed along one side of the hallway to her living room. Closing the door behind her, she dropped her things on the hall entry table. Without taking off her coat, she walked to her living room.</p><p>For a moment, she was shocked to see that someone had come in and brought Christmas with them. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large seven-foot Christmas tree that stood in the space between her kitchen and her living room. The tree was discreetly covered in gold and red baubles, tinsel, even more lights and a star on top. Moving closer to examine the tree, a noise was heard slightly behind the tree. She soon saw her secret Christmas elf busily putting a garland across the top of her fireplace, unaware of her presence.</p><p>"Sir?" She questioned him, looking from him to the presents under the tree. A confused tone in her voice. </p><p>Jack momentarily froze at the sound of Sam’s voice. He turned his head to look at her.</p><p>"Carter! Damn! I was hoping to be done and gone by the time you got home."</p><p>"You -- you did this?" She asked him, surprise in her voice, gesturing to the Christmas decorations now adoring her home.</p><p>"Um, yeah." He said quietly, taking a step closer to her, forgetting the garland in his hands. He dropped the garland when he realized that he was about to pull down the decoration that adorned the fireplace. Nervously, he wiped his hands on his jeans.</p><p>"Why?" She asked, realizing that she was both perplexed and surprised.</p><p>He started to walk towards but stopped after a few steps. Distance would be good, he told himself. He shrugged his shoulders and stuck his hands in his back pockets of his jeans before he answered quietly. "I want you to believe in magic again." He told her as he slowly took one step forward. "And Christmas cheer." He took another step until he stood right in front of her. </p><p>"To me, many moons ago, it was great. Christmas, I mean. Christmas was great. I had a kid. I was a dad and I got to bring magic to him. He was my reason for being, my everything. Now, when I put up my decorations, I see the lack of child-made ornaments, and then a lack of child. I don't put it up because of what it lacks." His voice was quiet, trying to hide his sorrow of his loss. "But I'd never want that for you, Carter." He said softly. "I need for you to believe in magic and the impossible, because if you don't, who knows what would happen and at the SGC--" He raised a nervous hand through his hair, making one side stand up slightly, a movement that endeared Jack to her more. A grin appeared on his face as Sam’s mega-watt smile began to spread on her face. "Just because I'm an old grump, it doesn't mean I want you to be a grump." </p><p>She looked around her house in awe. "Sir!" She almost whispered. "This is -- this is amazing!" She looked him in the eyes shyly.</p><p>He grinned then pulled her into him for a hug. She quickly responded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, sir." She whispered, brushing her lips briefly against his cheek.</p><p>"Anytime." He told her, returning her hug briefly, before stepping out of her embrace. He knew that any physical contact of any length with his 2IC should be kept as brief as possible. Because the possibility of having more could never be because of their current positions.</p><p>She looked around the room and smiled. "But we’re missing one thing." She told him.</p><p>"Really? He asked her, surprised. He thought he had everything covered.</p><p>She nodded as she looked at her tree and said, "Popcorn and cranberries." </p><p>Jack full out grinned and nodded his head. "Charlie loved those," he acknowledged, picking up his key. "The stores are still open. Let’s go.” Together they turned to the front door, He grabbed his jacket as they reached the door. “Ever melted chocolate and drizzled it over the popcorn?" </p><hr/><p>He didn't make it home that night. It was the weekend and they were both on downtime so they spent the entire night making popcorn and cranberry garlands before she sprayed them with acrylic spray and reminded him not to eat them. </p><p>She put the ones he had decorated on her tree, smiling at the fact there was no logical pattern ratio between the cranberries and the popcorn. Whereas the ones she had made and sent home with him had a strict ratio of 1 cranberry to 3 popcorn. </p><hr/><p>Turning off the engine of the truck, Jack reached down beside him and picked up the decorations and the 25-inch potted glittering Christmas tree he had picked up at a local gas station on the way home. Walking into the cold dark house, he kicked off his boots in the hallway but left his coat on before making his way to his living room.</p><p>He put the mini-Christmas tree on the coffee table in the living room. Smiling he took out Carter’s popcorn and cranberry garland decoration and placed it around the tree. He stared at the tree for a few minutes and sighed deeply.</p><p>While it wasn't the houseful of decorations he had insisted upon for his second, it was a light at the end of the tunnel. </p><p>That maybe somewhere in losing himself after Charlie, that maybe … just maybe… she was something … someone different who could somehow lead him by the hand and guide him home… maybe not now but one day… soon. </p>
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